Will PCO Drivers Lose Jobs Due to Tesla Cybercabs?

Tesla Cybercab is an autonomous minicab launched in October 2024. Since its launch, many PCO drivers are wondering whether it will replace private hire vehicles.

The first thing to consider is the layout and size of London’s roads. Unlike the USA, where road designs mostly follow a grid system, London has a combination of new and old roads, including narrow streets and complex one-way systems. Couple this with the upgrades that London’s roads undergo regularly and you will need years of mapping for a driverless vehicle to navigate easily.

Next factor is the number of drivers. There are over 100,000 PCO drivers in London, with about 45,000 working for Uber. If Uber decides to replace them with Cybercabs costing £23,000 each, this alone will cost them over £1 billion. Plus, there are additional storage and maintenance expenses as well.

Now, consider the UK as a whole. There are over 300,000 PCO drivers in UK, with many of them operating on similar roads as London’s, where autonomous taxis can’t operate easily.

Considering all this, the idea of Tesla Cybercab replacing PCO drivers seems impractical. Yes, it’s futuristic, but the lack of human involvement means passengers will miss out on many perks that come with traditional PHVs. For instance, there will be no one to help them get the luggage in and out the vehicle. Similalry, riders with disabilities will have to board and alight from the vehicle on their own. This affects the whole ride experience which passengers may not like.

In the end, there’s a long way to go before driverless cabs become a part of the ride-hailing world. When they do, they’ll probably become the third preferred option at max for riders after PHVs and black taxi’s. So, there’s no major risk of PCO drivers losing their jobs to it yet.

Source: https://tflseru.co.uk/teslas-cybercabs-to-replace-phvs/